Decoding the video creator economy’s potential at IBC2025, Amsterdam

The video industry is in the middle of a substantial shift. The days of traditional entertainment and the creator economy occupying separate lanes are ending. Creators are expanding beyond social platforms to produce more premium content on SVOD services. Meanwhile, broadcasters and streaming TV platforms are devising fresh strategies for engaging social media audiences directly on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

This has implications for the creator tools companies. Traditional entertainment needs to pivot towards building social-first studios to produce social content at a faster rate. Elsewhere, creators behind lucrative social channels are transforming themselves into multi-faceted entertainment businesses. As Neil Waller, co-founder of the creator and social agency Whalar Group, describes: “[Creators] are weaving content, community, and commerce into something bigger with the mindset of founders and the ambition of studio executives.”

Both trends have the potential to drive demand for video creator software and hardware tools over the coming years. However, these are only two of the many forces fuelling creator economy growth. MIDiA is predicting the industry to continue its substantial expansion with a new set of forecasts that encapsulate the potential for video creator tools companies. Poised for publication in October 2025, MIDiA’s The state of the video creator economy report will unpack this opportunity with insights underpinned by our flagship proprietary data, including forecasts until 2032 for:

• Total number of creators globally
• Total number of video creators, globally: Also broken down by social video creators, video editors, videographers, marketing creators, live streamers, and video podcasters
• Total creator earnings from advertising, globally
• Total video creator earning from subscription and tipping, globally
• Total video creator hardware revenues, globally (also broken down by camera revenues, camera equipment revenues, and audio revenues) 
• Total video creator software revenues, globally (also broken down by creative tools, video editing software, AI tools, and live streaming tools)

Ahead of the report’s publication, MIDiA is booking in face-to-face meetings with attendees of the IBC2025 conference in Amsterdam to explain our creator economy coverage area. These meetings with Ben Woods, MIDiA’s creator economy analyst, provide an opportunity to discuss some of the report’s top-level findings and how MIDiA data is already supporting entertainment companies across the creator economy, music, audio, social, and games.

If you would like to book a 30-minute meeting with Ben on either Friday, September 12, or Saturday, September 13, please scan the QR code in the image above, or follow the instructions on the link here. Meetings are offered on a first come, first served, basis. Attendees can also unlock a 15% discount on ‘The state of the video creator economy’ report when published.

Meanwhile, those attending IBC2025 can also catch Ben as he moderates two panel sessions in IBC Content Everywhere Hall.

• The Future of Media Streaming: Ecosystems, AI and the new content economy | September 12, 2pm – 2:45pm, IBC Content Everywhere Hall 4 Stage
• Upgrade options for online video services | September 13, 10:15am – 11am, IBC Content Everywhere Hall 4 Stage

For more information on MIDiA’s creator economy coverage, email Ben here or explore the vertical on MIDiA’s website here.